Mechanical toy rowboat



Dec.'17, 1940. o. J. F, JACOBSQN 2,224,966

MECHANICAL TOY ROWBOAT Filed Nov. 18, 1936 2 Sheets-Sheet l I Y INVENTOR I flskar J. F. Jamswz ATTORNEY Dec. 17, 1940. Q JACOBSON 2,224,966

MECHANI CAL TOY ROWBOAT Filed Nov. 18, 1936 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR Oskar f if facosan Patented Dec. 17, 1940 MECHANICAL TOY ROWBOAT Oskar J. F. acobson, New York,'N. Y.

Application November 18, 1936, Serial No. 111,515

20 Claims.

This invention relates to a mechanical rowboat toy and particularly to the type wherein two separate oars are used in oar locks and actuated by a mechanical figure containing actuating mechanism capable of being wound up by manipulating a part of said figure. W

The main object of theinvention' is to provide a toy of the character indicated wherein a mechanical figure is designed to simulate natural body movements of a person rowing a boat.

Another object is to provide by the nature and construction of the mechanical figure a toy having oars capable of movement and also to make it possible to insert or remove the oars at will While preventing actual loss of the oars or displacement thereof when in use.

It is furthermore an object of the invention to introduce improved means for detachably connecting the arms of a mechanical figure with the handle portions of the oars in a highly efficient mannerto resemble universal joints. 1

It should also be mentioned that it is an object to have a toy of this character of such simple and practical construction that it will be very reasonable to manufacture and capable of being sold at a low figure. In the accompanying drawings forming part hereof, the invention is illustrated in a practical embodiment.

Hence,

Fig. 1 is a perspective View of a mechanical rowboat toy made according to the present invention embodying the salient features thereof, a mechanical figure or automaton being shown seated in position for operating the toy;

- Fig. 2 is a partial, vertical and longitudinal central section of the toy showing certain features of construction including the oar operating mechanism. 1

Fig. 3 is a transverse section of the toy through the central well, wherein the automaton is located.

4 is a plan view.

Fig. 5 is a same view oars removed.

Fig. 6 illustrates details of the connection between an arm of the automaton and the end of the oar intended to be connected thereto preparatory to assembling.

Fig. 7 illustrates the same details in assembled condition.

Fig. 8 is a perspective of crank 43 and Fig. 9 is a perspective of the head, neck and elastic connected thereto. r I i Throughout the views the same reference numerals indicate the same or corresponding parts.

In the practice of my invention a toy model with the automaton and of a boat generally 'indicatedat I, and made .of wood or sheet metal; is provided with a central well 2 in which an automaton generally indicated at 3 is' located, and fromwhich well said automaton' extends upwardlyin the'form of -a body 5 or torso surmounted by a head 5 which serves as a. winding key for winding up the mechanism as will presently appear. l g

Of course the boat if made of sheet metal may have a central opening corresponding to the well -2 and be otherwise hollow throughout,'but a solid wooden block is for some purposes preferable as it is. quite easy to drill or cut out. A central well 2 will readily serve the purpose of the present invention in economical manner. 15

Upon the upper surface 6' of the boat is fixed an anchoring plate I for the mechanism terminating at the sides in a pair of opposite oar locks 8,8. The two prongs 9 and III of each ofthese oar locks are slightly expansible' in=resilient manner by. virtue of a slot II whi'chsplits said prongs apart and enters in upon the anchor plate a short distance at each side thereof, the resulting resilient condition of each oar lock allowing oars similar to I2, I2 to have the shanks thereof gently forced down between each pair of prongs so that the cars will snap into place and thereafter'be free to move in the wider portions of the space between said prongs while being prevented from dropping out of the car locks f'rom between'the prongs of said oar locks, due to the fact that the same have sprung back into position so as to partly envelop said oars.

The anchor plate projects downwardly with'in the sides of well 2 in the form of a yoke generally indicated at I3, having the sides I4, I4 and the transverse bottom portion I5 which is pierced by a slot l6 running transversely of the boat as a whole while the sides I4, I4 are provided with, corresponding apertures IT for receiving pivot means adapted to extend into corresponding holes IS in the sides I9 of the body 4 of the automaton. .Ho-rizontal pins would serve to project into holes I8 upon which the automaton might rock but it. is preferred to use an arch wire member 22 having side portions 20, 20 with horizontal opposite projections 2| in assembled condition of the device into the holes I8 in-the automaton from the holes I! in the anchor yoke. The arch wire is preferably resilient so that it tends to clamp against the sides I4, I4 of the yoke while the main looped portion of the wire may conveniently lie within the confines. of the well 2 in boat I, thus avoiding the loss of pivot pins and also fa- 55 cilitating assembling or disassembling of the automaton.

Extending from both sides of the body portion 4 at the upper portion thereof is a pair of similar arms 23, 23 which terminate in disc shaped ends or hands 24. The handle ends 25 of the oars are longitudinally slotted as at 26 while the disc shaped ends 24 are of slightly smaller diameter than the preferably hollow interior 2'! of said handle ends. When an oar is to be connected with one of the arms it is but necessar first to dispose the oar forwardly of the arm with the handle extending toward the arm, when it will be possible to introduce the disc 24 of the arm into the slot 26 after which it is but necessary to turn the car toward its respective side of the boat and press the same down between the pron s 9 and ID of the oar lock 8 upon said side of the boat when it will be found that the car has been not only connected with the arm but also assembled upon the boat so that both the arm and oar lock serve to retain the oar captive and under perfect control of movement of the arm involved. The arms 23' are capable of reciprocating in such manner as to raise and lower the cars as will presently be explained but it is noteworthy that the width of the slots 26 are designed to be a loose fit upon the narrow tapered portion 28, while the disc 24 upon the endof each arm is a loose fit within the round interior 21 of the car handle, with the result that the connection is substantially a universal joint allowing vertical and horizontal movements of the oars while the arm carries out corresponding motion and causes said movements, said joint by its nature allowing free movements in any direction within the range of movement possible for the arms and oars.

Returning momentarily to the anchor plate, it might be stated that it is preferably shaped from a single piece of metal which may be divided at the front and the rear along the top of the boat as at 29 and 33, the plate being secured to the body of the boat by screws 3 3| or by any other suitable means.

However, the body portion or torso 4 of the automaton may be made of a single sheet of bent metal comprising a rear portion 32, the shoulder portion 33 and the front portion 34, which is continued downwardly and bent under the figure at the bottom at 35 while terminating in a hook portion 36 engaging against the exterior of the lower end of the rear portion 32. If the torso is assembled by drawing the front and back together while the hook portion or flange 36 is allowed to clear the lower end of the back portion 32 it will be but necessary to press the front and backparts together and permit the flange 36 to be caught outside said lower end of the back, when the body portion will remain assembled in form. .Each side I 9 has a clearance space out out below the shoulder portion 33 and is partly over-lapped by a flange 31 which is bent forwardly from the rear portion 32. Upon the upper edge of flanges 31 rests the knife edge portions 33 of the arms 23, 23- which are interconnected by a transverse member 39 having within the body 4 of the automaton a pendently swingable leg 40 rigid therewith. This pendent leg is formed with a clearance slot 40 which extends substantially the entire length of the leg, but the resulting subdivisions of the leg are joined at the bottom by a forwardly directed flange 4| adapted to engage against a crank arm 42 of a driving crank generally indicated at 43 having an axle portion 44 passing through and centered in the bottom 35 of the body 4, so that said crank is rotatable in said bottom about a vertical axis. Above the crank arm 42 is fixed or formed a loop 45 to which a resilient member 54 such as a spring or an elastic member of rubber or the like is preferably attached for driving said crank, while the lower portion of the crank terminates in a crank arm 46 exteriorly below the bottom 35 of the automaton or figure and is adapted to engage in the transverse slot H3 in the bottom I5 of the lower pendent portion l3 of the anchor plate.

It will now be obvious from the immediate foregoing description that if the crank 43 is caused to rotate about its local axis in the bottom 35 of the automaton, the crank arm 42 will during rotation tend to repeatedly swing the leg 40 connected with cross member 39 and the arms 23, 23 rearwardly by engaging against the connecting flange 4|, while the lower crank arm 46 will cause the entire body of the automaton to swing back and forth about its pivot 2| so as to allow said crank arm 46 to oscillate from side to sidein slot l6. Of course, the flange 4| could be extended forwardly and a transverse slot cut therein within which the crank arm 42 can oscillate in order to positively drive pendent leg 43 both back and forth but this expedient when once mentioned'is so obvious as to be unnecessary to illustrate.

Beneath the shoulder portion 33 of the automaton body 4 is located upon each side an upwardly directed lug 4! immediately within the sides I 9, said lug being connected into a unit by a transverse member 48 provided with a tongue 49 which extends into the slotted portion of leg 40 so as to guide the latter in its movements. Centered in said cross member 48, and extending upwardly from it, is a resiliently expansive tubular member 50 which is split along one side at 5| and surmounted by the head 5 of the figure which is secured thereto, the mentioned tubular member being retained against loss by a flange 52 formed upon its lower end below member48. Passing through said tubular member in a transverse direction is a pin 53 which may serve simultaneously for securing the head 5 rigidly to the tube 50 and as an upper anchorage for the elastic member 54 which is secured at the lower portion to the loop 45 of the crank 43. Due to the fact that the tube 50 is split it can form as it were a tubular spring which tends to expand in the hole 55 of the transverse member 43 so as to produce a sufficient degree of friction which the elastic member 54 cannot overcome when it is twisted to a reasonable degree.

The head 5 of the figure serves as a winding key by which to wind up the elastic member 54 by turning the head clockwise while preventing the arms and oars from moving by interposing a finger in front of the oar handles with the result that the elastic 54 acquires a high torsional tension. When the boat is lowered into the water and allowed to float thereon and the oars freed, the crank 42 will rotate about its vertical axis at 44 in the bottom 35 of the torso or body 4, causing the entire automaton to rock back and forth about the horizontal pivots 2| due to the oscillation of lower crank 46 in slot l6 of the anchor plate, while the crank arm 42 will also cause pendent leg 40 to swing back and forth by engaging against the lower flange 4| thereof so as to raise and lower arms 23, 23. The result is that when the automaton is swung backwards the arms remain substantially stationary in 7 5 raised position due to the fact that .flange 4| of the pendent leg 40 will follow up by gravity the forward rotation of crank arm 42 becausethe cars have been. designed to extend with the greater part of their weight outside the oar looks so as to tend to raise the arms by their weight. The rotation of crank or crank arm 42 about 44 as an axis is based on the fact that when the torso 4 is considered as the housing or casing for the operating parts, the axis of the cranks 42 and 46, as well as the axis of the anchoring hook 45 andv elastic member 54 must be considered in reference to said torso. The axis of 44 is actually intended to be directly in line with the elastic 54 and the axis of member 50 as well as of the torso itself,- but while more accurately shown in Fig. 8, said part 44 is drawn slightly to the left in Fig. 2 in order to avoid confusion with parts 20 and 2|. When the figure has reached its rearmost position, the crank arm 46 has also reached its extreme position towards .one end of slot I6 and is about to return towards the other end in said slot and thereby rock the figure forwardly, the crank arm 42 also beginspositively to swing pendent leg 40 rearwardly which causes the arms 23, 23 to be lowered in positive manner so as to positively lower the handle portions of the cars and raise the outer ends of the oars while the figure is being rocked forwardly, this motion causing the outer ends of the oars to be swung rearwardly while clearing the water. 'When the figure is again about to rock towards the rear, the crank arm 46 which is now located towards the end of its oscillation and about to return in the opposite direction in said slot 16, the crank arm 42 swings forwardly so as to release the lower portion of leg 40 from its rearmost positionwith the result that the weight of the oarswill immediately raise the arms so that the outer ends of the oars are dropped into the water and. in this position the figure beings to rock backwards while said outer ends of the oars are driven forward in the water.

The rocking of the automaton and the raising and lowering of the cars in a manner very closely simulating the natural rowing of a person in a rowboat will be continued until the elastic member 54 has lost its torsional tension,'so that a new winding of the same by means of head 5 will again cause the automaton to operate as described.

The oars are preferably made of one piece and in fact the mechanism as a whole including the automaton, oars and anchor plate are preferably made of, sheet metal although other metal or materials may serve, but the invention is designed to be economically made and assembled from as few simple parts as possible, one of the simplest and yet surprising features being for example that the arms which have but a small space for free play operate perfectly upon the knife edge (which need not be sharp or particularly prepared) so that an easy and practically frictionless and balancing movement of the arms results.

As has already been mentioned, the boat may be made of solid wood etc., merely drilled out to accommodate the anchor plate and the automaton, or it may be made entirely in the form of a hollow sheet metal hull without any anchor plate, the flange with the car looks of the present description as well as the lower portion [3 with side portions I4, l4 and traverse bottom portion l5. being formed in a similar manner to the present anchor plate.

Nevertheless, it should be mentioned that the crank arm which operates the arms of the figure is disposed at an angle with the crank arm which cooperates with the slot in the bottom of the anchor plate so that the movements of the automaton run exactly opposite to the raising and lowering of the arms but this angular relation between the crank arms serves to bring about the dropping of the oars immediately before the figure is about to swing backward. In case the head is wound in a counter-clock-wise or backward direction the figure will tend to row backwards because the movements will naturally occur in opposite rotation.

Manifestly, variations may be resorted to and parts used without others within the scope of my invention as interpreted by the following claims.

Having now fully described my invention, I

claim:

1. In a mechanical rowboat toy, having a boat hull which is open at least in an upper intermediate portion to provide a well, the combination of an automaton body pivoted at the sides in fixed pivotal positions within the sides of said well upon said hull, a pair of oar locks disposed upon the upper side portion of said hull and forwardly of the pivotal axis upon which the automaton body pivots, a pair of arms extending forwardly from the sides of said automaton body and interconnected by means of a cross member-in teriorly of said body, means upon the extremities of'said arms for engaging with and being connected to a pair of separate oars when the latter are mounted in said oar locks in operative position, a head surmounting the body of said automaton and fixed to a tubular member extending downwardly into said body, and means supported in said body for rocking said automaton body about its pivotal mounting and simultaneously positively rocking the arms of the automaton so as to raise the oars While the automaton swings toward the rear of the hull.

2. A mechanical rowboat toy, comprising the combination, with a boat hull which is open at least in an upper intermediate portion to provide a well, of an anchor plate surrounding said well upon the upper portion of said hull, a pair of extensions at the sides of the rear of said anchor plate extending upwardlytherefromto form oar locks, a pair of downward extensions upon said anchor plate within the sides of said well, bottom means connecting the lower ends, of said downward extensions, pivot means in the sides of said downward extensions disposed a predetermined distance from the oar locks, an automaton body pivoted at the sides to said pivot means in said downward extensions of the anchor plate, means extending downwardly from said automaton body engaging with a portion of said bottom means and causing the body of the automaton to rock upon its pivotal mounting in the anchor plate, a pair of arms extending from the sides of said body toward the rear of the hull and interconnected rigidly by means of a transverse member within said automaton body, a knife edge support on the rear upper portion of the sides of the automaton body, the rear edge portions upon said transverse member resting upon said knife edge support in order to provide pivot means upon which the arms may swing, a head surmounting the body of said automaton and fastened upon a tubular member extending down into said body, means for actuating said arms in order to raise the oarsand also-allow the same to drop in correspondencewith the" backward and forward oscillation of the automaton, and resilient means connected to said tubular memher and said actuating means for rocking the automaton body and moving the arms upon turning of said head and said tubular member in order to wind up said resilient means.

3. Mechanical rowboat toy according to claim 2, wherein the oar locks are split a predetermined short distance inwardly upon the anchor plate in order to render the oar locks resiliently expansible and individually capable of resiliently receiving and retaining against loss the shank portions of the oars when the latter are introduced by force into said oar locks.

4. A mechanical rowboat toy according to claim 2, wherein each oar has a hollow handle portion which has an elongated side opening a short distance along the side of the handle portion in the form of a slot and the end of each arm of the automaton terminates in the form of a disc which can be introduced into the slot in each oar handle and after turning the oar will form a loose fit in the bore of the oar handle, the arms immediately within the disc upon the end thereof being reduced to fit within the width of the slot upon the car respectively engaged by each arm, said disc upon each arm and the interior of. the oar into which the arm extends through the slot forming in each case a universal joint.

5. A mechanical rowboat toy, comprising the combination, with a boat hull which is open at least in an upper intermediate portion to provide a well, of an anchor plate surrounding said well upon the upper portion of said hull, a pair of extensions at the sides of the rear of said anchor plate extending upwardly therefrom to form oar looks, a pair of downward extensions upon said anchor plate within the sides of saidwell, bottom means connecting the lower ends of said downward extensions, pivotmeans in the sides of said downward extensions disposed a predetermined distance from the oar locks, an automaton body pivoted at the sides to said down ward extensions of the anchor plate, a transverse slotted portion in the bottom means of the anchor plate, a crank centered in the bottom of the automaton body, and extending downwardly with the end of the crank arm thereof engaged in said slotted portion so that rotation of said crank arm will tend to rock the automaton body about its pivotal axis while the end of the crank 3 arm oscillates from side to side in said slotted portion, knife edge supports in the upper rear portions of the sides of the automaton body, a transverse member extending through said body and resting with its rear edge upon said knife edge supports, a pair of arms rigidly extending from said transverse member at the sides of the automaton body, means for connecting the handle portions of a pair of oars to the extremities of said arms when the oars are located in the oar locks in operative position, means for, rocking said transverse member and thereby raising or releasing the arms of the automaton, a headsurmounting said body and fixed upon a tubular member extending downwardly into said body of the automaton, and resilient means connected to said tubular member and to the means for actuating said cross member as well as to the crank in the lower portion of said body and being capable of being wound up to drive said last mentioned means and actuate the arms and the automaton body upon: being wound up by the turning offsai'd head.

6. A mechanical rowboat toy according to claim 2, wherein the anchor plate is' formed from a unitary metal-blank andis split in the upper forward and rear portions to allow the same to be brought together upon folding down the downward extensions in said anchor plate.

'7. A mechanical rowboat toy according to claim 5, wherein the tubular member upon which the head is fixed is split so as to be resiliently expansible, and a supporting member through which said tubular member extends within the upper portion of the automaton body serving to locate said tubular member while frictionally retaining the same in any rotated position in order to retain theresilient means in wound up condition.

8. A mechanical rowboat toy, comprising the combination, with a boat hull which is open at least in an upper intermediatepo-rtion to provide a well, of an anchor plate surrounding said well upon the upper portion of the said hull, a pair of extensions at the sides of the rear of said anchor plate extending upwardly therefrom to form oar looks, a pair of downward extensions upon said anchor plate within the sides of said well, bottom means connecting the lower ends of said downward extensions, pivot means inthe sides of said downward extensions disposed a predetermined distance from the oar locks, an automaton. body pivoted at the sides to said downward extensions of the anchor plate, a transverse slotted portion in the bottom means of the anchor plate, a crank centered in the bottom of the automaton body and extending downwardly with the end of the crank arm thereof engaged in said slotted portion so that rotation of said crank arm will tend to rock the automaton body about its pivotal axis" while the end of the crank arm oscillates from side to side in said slotted portion, bearing means in the upper side portions of the automaton body, a transverse member passing through said body and supported by said bearing means, rigid arms secured to the ends of said transverse member exteriorly or the sidesof the automaton body, a downward extension in the form of a leg rigid with said transverse member within said body, a second crank arm fixed to said crank within the lower portion of the automaton body capable of rotating against the downward extension or leg and swinging the same in order to swing the arms of the automaton, a rotatable head surmounting the body having a support means extending into the latter, and a resilient driving means connected to said support means of the head within the body and to said crank capable of rotating said crank with its crank arms upon turning said head to wind up said resilient driving means, and there being means for connecting the extremities of the arms of the automaton to a pair .of oars disposed in operative position in the oar locks.

9. A mechanical rowboat toy according to claim 8, wherein a fixed guide means is disposed in the upper interior portion of the automaton body through which the support means for the head extends and a projection upon said guide means extending rearwardly in said body into a slotted portion in the leg which is connected with the transverse member and the arms of the automaton for the purpose of guiding said leg in its swinging motions and thereby guiding the arms in their corresponding motions.

10. A mechanical rowboat toy according to claim 8, wherein the resilient driving means consists of an elastic member of rubber, and the crank in the lower portion ofthe automaton body has an upwardly directed hook or loop to which said elastic member is attached.

11. A mechanical rowboat toy according to claim 2, wherein the pivotal mounting for the automaton body comprises a resilient arcuate member located within the well of the hull, and provided with a pair of converging projections extending through apertures in the sides of the downward extensions of the anchor plate into the sides of the automaton body.

12. A mechanical rowboat toy according to claim 2, wherein the pivot means in the sides of the downward extensions of the anchor plate comprises a resilient arcuate member disposed within the well of the hull and provided with a pair of upper extensions terminating at converging and opposite projections which extend through the downward extensions of the anchor plate into the sides of the automaton body.

13. A mechanical rowboat toy according to claim 2, wherein the top of the hull of the boat has a longitudinal central ridge, and the anchor plate is secured upon the top of said hull, and wherein, portions of the anchor plate which are disposed upon said top of the hull are split both fore and aft along said ridge.

14. A mechanical rowboat toy according to claim 2:, wherein the anchor plate comprises a unitary member shaped-from sheet metal, and wherein each of the oars comprises a unitary member wherein the shank is shaped into a hollow tubular form integral with the blade of the oar and also made from sheet metal.

15. A mechanical rowboat toy according to claim 5, wherein the tubular member upon which the head is fixed terminates at its lower edge in a flaring flange, and wherein a supporting member through which said tubular member extends immediately above said flange within the upper portion of the automaton body serves to locate said tubular member and guide the same during transverse strip within the upper portion of the automaton body terminating at the ends thereof in a pair of lugs adjacent to the shoulder portions of the arms of the automaton.

16. A mechanical rowboat toy according to claim 5, wherein, the automaton body comprises a unitary sheet metal member formed from a blank, and including a back plate having upon the sides thereof forwardly extending edges and terminating at the upper portion in forwardly bent shoulder portions rounded over and extending downwardly at the front in the form of a front plate having side edges extending rearwardly so as to be capable of partially lapping or being overlapped by the forwardly extending edges of the back plate and terminating at the bottom in a rearwardly extending bottom'plate having an upwardly directed projection within which the lower edge of the rear plate is attached so as to retain the body of the automaton in assembled condition.

17. In a mechanical toy rowboat including a boat proper, and a pair of separate oars, there being supports upon said boat for said oars, the combination of means for operating said oars, comprising an automaton pivotally mounted to rock about a horizontal axis in said boat and having arms connected in operative condition to said oars, and interior mechanism within said automaton for moving said arms and thereby operating said oars, said interior mechanism operating about an upright axis with respect to the automaton body.

18. A mechanical toy rowboat according to claim 17, in which the interior mechanism for moving the arms includes a crank-shaft having two cranks, a bearing in the torso of the automaton for said shaft, said automaton and bearing being movable, a transversely slotted member fixed in said boat receiving one of the cranks of said crankshaft, said last mentioned crank oscillating in the slot in said slotted member and causing movement of the movable bearing and the automaton, in a plane corresponding with the longitudinal axis of the boat, and means within said torso engaged by the second crank so as to be moved thereby, said means being connected to said arms. I

- 19. A mechanical toy rowboat according to claim 1'7, in which the interior mechanism for moving the arms includes a crankshaft having two cranks, one of which projects into the boat from the automaton torso, a transversely slotted member in said boat having said projecting crank extending into the slot therein so as to oscillate in said slot during operation and rock said torso in a plane corresponding to the longitudinal axis of the boat, pivot means in said boat supporting said torso, at least one bearing in'said torso for said crankshaft moving with the torso, and means connected to said arms and engaged by the other crank so as to be moved by said crank and thereby actuate said arms.

20. A mechanical toy rowboat according to claim 1'7, in which the interior mechanism includes a crankshaft and a movable member connected to the arms and actuated in one direction of movement by said crankshaft so as to lower the arms and positivelyraise the outer ends of the oars, said oars being located in the oar locks in predetermined positions wherein the outer ends will descend by gravity and raise the inner ends of said oars and said arms when said movable member is free to move independently of said crankshaft. v

OSKAR J. F. JACOBSON. 

